The Whole Armor of God

Life is difficult - be strengthened.

“He has spoken of the greatness of the purpose of God in Christ, of the glory of his high calling, and the life that should follow from it. The standards have been set, the standards for personal life, for life in the fellowship of the Christian community, and in the more intimate circle of the home. Yet he wants still to remind his readers that such a life cannot be lived without a spiritual battle...”

Francis Foulkes, Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 10, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 175.

Strength is the key word of this passage

With this in mind, how do you think we might need to clarify the meaning of strength in this passage to our current, cultural understanding of strength?

Francis Foulkes, Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 10, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 175.

dunatos = possible, powerful, strong

We need to be strengthened - we are not strong. Be strengthened, not strengthen yourselves.

Correct translation would be “be strengthened” or “be empowered”

His might is what does the strengthening!

You must be willing to be strengthened by God

This means surrender - let go!

This means dependence - look to the Lord

Why would Paul say “in” instead of “by?” (Eph. 6:10)

Paul begins (10) and ends (18) with God - but not with God as an external force but one that is also internal - God with us.

The word “in” implies proximity and relationship - our strength does not come from God unless we are united in relationship with Him.

We must walk with the Lord and find our strength in the Lord

Transition: Paul chooses an illustration to help the reader: “Day by day the apostle, at this time of his confinement (see on v. 20), was in all probability chained to a Roman soldier. His mind must often have turned from the thought of the soldier of Rome to the soldier of Jesus Christ, and from the soldier to whom he was bound to the heavenly warrior to whom his life was linked by more real, though invisible, bonds.”

Francis Foulkes, Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 10, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 176.

How can a picture like this be a help or a hurdle?

Help - visual clarity, a picture is worth a thousand words.

Help - understanding of what kind of soldier we are referring to in history.

Hurt - attachment mentality, add on your upgrades for more success.

Hurt - isolation mode, you can have some of these without the others.

The emphasis here is on the entirety of the armor.

We must a biblical “wholeness” (11, 13) as we face the spiritual battle of this life.

We cannot approach holiness partially (Give God a try)

There is a difference between partial faith and growing faith

Would you say the tone of this passage is primarily offensive or defensive? Why?

Primarily defensive because of

Stand/withstand as a major emphasis of the text (11, 13, 14)

Not by the Lord, but in the Lord

We must be careful to not always be on the attack, but instead be ready to defend - within the church, within the home, within marriage, within the lost world.

Within defense there is necessary offense - we are not called to a passive defense.

Wholeness (11, 13) - full preparation

Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary a. The Christian Conflict (6:10–20)

‘the present picture is not of a march, or of an assault, but of the holding of the fortress of the soul and of the Church for the heavenly King’

Stand (13, 14)

—Moule

Who is the enemy? Where does our opposition come from?

We have a double enemy - the text is set up in duplicates; showing the duality of our understanding of evil.

Devil and dark forces (11-12) - we fight against the evil one and his offensive forces.

Spiritual warfare is real

Spiritual warfare is not a replacement for evil

Evil Day - a future time of difficulty (13-18)

We must be careful no to write off spiritual realities

We must be careful to guard our perceptions and not attribute feelings to truth.

Evil Day - a future time of difficulty (13-18)

Hard times lie ahead

Hard times can be from the hand of God

How does our view of the war affect our life?

We must be careful not to blame everything that we don’t like on Satan (The devil made me do it…)

We must be careful not to write off spiritual realities

We must be careful to guard our perceptions and not attribute feelings to truth.

We must be careful to turn to God in all hardship

We must guard against the temptation to view this passage as pertaining to only demon possession or the Frank Peretti view of spiritual warfare.

Flesh vs. Forces reality.

Prayer is a constant component - consider additional message on these verses

Truth

see the description of the armour of the heavenly warrior, as given in

Francis Foulkes, Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 10, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1989), 176.

The Purpose of God: Ephesians Chapter 10: Christian Warfare (6:10–24)

Whether it refers to theological truth, spiritual truth or the truth of personal character, the point Paul stresses is that the truth is the first piece of armour with which we need to gird ourselves.

The Purpose of God: Ephesians Chapter 10: Christian Warfare (6:10–24)

When believers are living in unconfessed sin, they are vulnerable to the assaults of Satan.

How beautiful are the feet - In , Paul quotes from

R. C. Sproul, The Purpose of God: Ephesians (Scotland: Christian Focus Publications, 1994), 149.

The Purpose of God: Ephesians Chapter 10: Christian Warfare (6:10–24)

In the ancient world it was customary, in some places, that if the messenger brought bad news, he was punished with death. If it was bad news, then, he would be burdened by the news that he was carrying, and fearful of what treatment he might expect. As each city posted lookouts to watch the approaching runners, it became almost a science whereby the lookout could determine whether the messenger was bringing good news or bad news, just by his feet. If the messenger was bringing good news of victory, his feet would be flying and he would be kicking up a lot of dust. There would be an exuberance and an enthusiasm in his gait, as he approached the walls of the city. Hence the phrase, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’

Ephesians: An Introduction and Commentary a. The Christian Conflict (6:10–20)

the present picture is not of a march, or of an assault, but of the holding of the fortress of the soul and of the Church for the heavenly King